Readers

It is most interesting [and true] that you never know who reads the blog. I had a mail from a friend who lives in Denmark [and Holland] who happens to originate from New Zealand - whose family in turn must have originated from 'over the waters' some few years ago.

Mori wrote about spring in Scandinavia - collecting cloudberries and preparing for a kayaking trip later in their summer. While I write this, my two little granddaughters potter around and I watch leaves fall off the pinoaks thinking of the winter to come.

While I think instant communication is great, I think I miss the letter opening and quite moments of settling down to read what some else had hand written. But one thing is sure, hearing from friends from all over the world is the bonus.

David is sorting the many. many images taken over the years - there are too many for him ever to get through them all - and they are really great.

I am about to take the little girls out to have a 'cappucino' and cake and will wrap them up warmly.

Autumn

Cannot believe we are onto our Autumn workshop in the Free State this weekend.

We have a great small group and hope that the trees are looking good.

Some new photographers join us this time and I am sure that they will be totally convinced that photography is a great hobby.

Cosmos in March

We look forward to sharing time in the Free State with photographers. We will travel into to the farmlands, Lesotho and enjoy fine food at the Inn.

Photographers will also venture into water photography which is always a delight.

February already

Before we new it we were back home and into our every day routines.

I teaching and David doing the daily surgery run.

On Sunday we held [by request] our first beginner's workshop of 2010 and fourteen photographers joined us for the day. A great time was had by all, especially by the new photographers who were delighted by David's images and thoughts on taking pictures.

Our first weekend away is in March with floral photography and water being the focus.

Do look on the website for further details: www.creative-escapes.co.za

Of Shopping Malls and Choices

I walked into one of the shopping centres in Johannesburg over the weekend and commented to David that although 'very posh' and with wonderful stores it is no competition for the centre we visited in Buenos Aires.

As our driver whizzed us through the beautiful boulevards, we were rather alarmed and wondered where we were going. He stopped outside the Principe Mall which is one of the nicest shopping areas I've visited for a long time.

Wide passages, shops with no 'Made in China' labels - please don't tell me everything has to be made in China! Shoe shops with high heel shoes in every colour, flat shoes with soft leather, sandals with straps in just the right place.

Coffee and food shops in just the right places and of course chocolate shops. One 'boutique' store simply sold small soaps and candles that looked good enough to eat. Great for small gifts.

Even the men's clothing stores beckoned David who actually slowed down to gaze at the well tailored smart and casual clothing.

So, I sit now and gaze onto the emerald green grass of our garden with the sun streaming through the leaves of the pinoaks and ponder on the remarkable experiences we've had over the past few weeks.

I don't have the 'ice bug' that so many of the Zodiac drivers and expedition leaders have - too much of a Bush person for that - but I certainly would certainly like to explore the Northern Arctic areas for another experience. And what about the Ross Ice Shelf? Now THAT'S a thought!

But Buenos Aries - as someone famous once said 'Ve vill be back'!

Boulevards, Fountains and the Tango

On the first night we were in BA we enjoyed a tango evening even though we had been awake for more than twenty hours by the time we fell on our beds. But the tango show was remarkable - lively, sexy and sensuous.

Who could resist yet another such evening on our third night in BA? More importantly this experience included a tango lesson. Well with much trepidation we were collected by the shuttle bus and taken into town. We were ushered into the dance studio and our minute dance instructor introduced herself to us. Totally bilingual [Spanish and English] she proceeded to persuade the most reluctant of us onto the floor and even managed to teach us the eight basic tango steps. More importantly she even made us believe that we COULD tango. Starting with a simple walk and being harangued into stepping as though we were tango dancers, she had us moving around the studio like professionals. Such is the power of a sweet-talking confident young dancer.

After we received our first tango dance lesson certificates, we were then shown to the small theatre where we were served a most acceptable three course meal and as much to drink as we could manage. Two of the dancers walked around posing with the guests and both David and I were more than delighted to pose with our respective 'partners'. David looks just like a professional mafioso in his dark fedora and I look a little silly with a red feather boa and my leg dangling around the young man's knees. Well, when a tango dancer says to one ' up leg' in a low and sultry voice, that's what you do!

After dinner the lights dimmed and 'our' dancers opened the show with a very flashy, leg-flicking, low-slung tango. What a start to the show. The dancers move with extreme elegance and fire and sadly we realised that to get to their level of brilliance we would either have to practice daily for the next thirty years or simply give up.

Once again we were taken home and certainly I dreamed of young tango dancers and brilliant long strides across the dance floor. I certainly know exactly which my first evening will be spent the next time we arrive in Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires

But let's get back BA. What a beautiful city it is. As one drives in from the airport the large streets and magnificent boulevards are a delight to view.

Fountains and statues are placed in strategic positions and celebrate anything from [another] revolution to a donation from one country or another thanking Argentina for the hospitality or welcome shared.

We found the best way to explore was the 'hop on hop off' bus where the commentary is continuous and interesting and there are eleven stops to hop on and off and so ones sees the city highlights and can be free to hop off for a coffee or beer or even shop.

We hopped off at La Boca [the mouth - of the river] where the houses are painted bright primary colours [painted using left over boat paint] and where we wandered around cobbled streets and were fascinated by the people some who touted for photographs dressed as tango dancers.

The quality of tourist tat is good although just tat. We were astonished to see seal fur coats as part of the show.

We hopped on again after taking many photos and drove onto the Cemetery in Rocoleta which is famous for non other than Evita Duarte's grave among others. The graves are placed in as in a city with walk ways and edifices that rise out of the ground that are marble monuments to the dead.

We did have a light lunch under a large 'gum' tree which turn out to be a rubber tree and enjoyed our cold drink/beer and not the indifferent meal.

That evening we went to a tango show - but more of that later.